Straw-stacker.



Patented Dec. 23, |902.v c. H. nunagn. S'l'liW STACKEB.

(Application Bled Fab. 15, 1902.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Muriel.)

'ma Nomjus uns co, Morn-uwe. WASHING-rom n. c.

No. 7|6,374. Patented Dec. 23, |902.l

C. H. BRUNGER.

STRAW STACKER.

(Application filed Feb. 15, 1902.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

IOlll l I Il '0| 10W' 0l IH n Holme lha n @ul-0 miran /VN VEN TO? Zaz'mfL/.ranyer Afro/mns y Yu: norms muts 0. Fumo-umu. msmnnfon. q. c.

No. 7I6,374. Patented Dec. 23, i902. C. H. BBUNGEB. STBAW STACKER.

plication led Feb. 15, 19 (N0 Model.)

" umu Afro/mrs' l nrnNT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. BRUNGER, OF GENESEO, ILLINOIS.

STRAWHSTACKER.

SECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,374, dated December 23, 1902;

Application tiled February 15, 1902. Serial No. 94.260. (No model.)

To all 1071.071?, t may concern/.-

Beit known that 1, CHARLES H. BRUNGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Geneseo, in the county of Henry and State nection with any separator and, furthermore,

to provide a stacker in which the straw will be carried from the hopper to the stacker without injuring the straw and whereby the action of the racking mechanism will not be affected by any lumps of straw upon which mechanism is required to act.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means whereby all the grain that passes to the delivery-chute of the stacker with the straw will be sii ted from the straw and may be readily returned to the separator, thus preventing any loss of grain.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the hopper, along with the delivery-chute, maybe rotated to the right or to the left and the direction of its motion automatically reversed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of tightener for the driving-belt of the rakes, which tightener automatically maintains the belt taut, no matter how the delivery-chute may be vertically adjusted.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combinationlof the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

vter as the upper arms 15.

A represents a base upon which standards 10 are erected and an additional standard 10a, which is usually of greater height than the others. In these standards l0 and 10a a shaft 11 is journaled, and this shaft carries a pulley l2 at its outer end. The longer standard 10 is connected by a cross-bar 13 with an especial standard 14. (Shown in detail in Fig. 5.) This standard 14 has its inner face concaved and is provided at its upper portion with arms 15, extending from its sides in a horizontal direction, the said arms 15 being curved in direction of the longer main staudard 10, and the standard 14 is further providedlwith lower arms 16 of the same charac- The sides of the standard 14, between corresponding arms 15 and 1G, are concaved, as shown at 17 in Fig. 5. A shaft 418 is journaled in a suitable bearing on the base between the especial standard 14 and the longer standard 10, with which it is connected, and this same shaft 18 is journaled in a suitable bearing in the cross-bar 13, the shaft extending up beyond the said cross-bar. A spoked wheel 19 is splined on the said shaftlS, and this spoked wheel has movement up and down on the shaft 18, turning with it, the vertical movement of the said spoked wheel being between the base A and the cross-bar 13. This Wheel 19 is provided with spokes 20 and 2l, extending from its periphery, and the spokes 2O are of greater number and are of less length than the spokes 2l. The spokes 20 and 21 of the wheel 19 are adapted to enter the spaces between teeth formed upon a wheel 22, which wheel is secured to the shaft 11, and said shaft is the drive-shaft of the machine. The wheel 22 is in the nature of a beveled gear, and the spaces between the teeth of the wheel are concaved to a greater or less extent. While all of the teeth 2O and 2l are adapted to engage with the said wheel 22, the long teeth 21 only are adapted for engagement with the inclined or curved faces 1'7 between'the arms 15 and 16 of the special standard 14. A gear 23 is mounted to slide upon the upper portion of the shaft 1S andto turn with the said shaft, and this gear 23 may be raised and lowered through the medium of a shifting lever 24, fulcrumed upon an upper extension of the longer standard 10, heretofore referred to.

At the shorter end of the shifting lever 24, as the said lever is pivoted nearer one end than the other, an arm 25 is attached, which extends downward and straddles the driveshaft 11 and is provided at its lower end.

with a lug 26, as shown particularly in Fig. 6. This arm 25 is normally forced outward by a spring27, coiled around the shaft ll, to such an extent that the lug 26 may be in contact with a segmental cam 27, which is secured on the said drive-shaft 11, as is shown in both Figs. 3 and 6. As the drive-shaft 11 revolves and the cam is brought in engagement with the lug 26 the arm 25 is forced downward and the gear 23 is carried upward, and when the cam 27 is out of contact with the lug 26 on the arm 25 the gear 23 drops downward, so that it may engage with a gear 28, secured to the bottom portion of a hopper 29, to be hereinafter specifically described.

In the operation of the driveshaft 1l with relation to the spoked wheel 19 when the spokes of the said wheel are in engagement with the upper teeth in the gear or driving wheel 22 the spoked wheel will be turned in one direction by said gear and will consequently turn the hopper 29 in the same direction by reason of the gear 23 on the shaft 18 being in engagement with the gear 28, carried by the hopper; but when the spokes of the said wheel 19 engage the lower teeth of the driving-wheel 22 at one period in the operation of the device the spoked wheel will be turned in an opposite direction and will :impart an opposite movement to the hopper 29, so that the hopper 29 will be alternately turned to the right and to the left for a certain distance during the operation of the machine. The pause between the change of movement of the gear 23, and consequently the movement of-the hopper 29, is brought about by one of the long spokes 21 engaging with a concaved surface 17 of the especial standard 14, which contact will prevent the spoked wheel from being turned, while said spoked wheel may be elevated or lowered by its contact with the driving-wheel 22. While the spoked wheel 19 is inactive, and consequently the hopper 29, the cam 27 will operate to raise and lower the wheel 23, carrying it alternately out of and into engagement with the gear-wheel 28, carried by the hopper 29; but I desire it to be understood that the reciprocating motion may be imparted to the hopper 29 without the assistance of the cam 27, the gear-wheel 23 remaining in mesh with the gear 28, carried by the hopper.

The hopper 29 is carried by a shaft 30, which shaft is mounted to revolve in a socket 3l, secured on the base A, and a guide-frame 32 is attached to said base, through the upper portion of which the shaft 30 extends. A sleeve 33 is mounted to turn in the upper portion of this guide-frame and virtually around the shaft 30. This sleeve is provided at its upper portion above the guide-frame with a beveled gear 34 and at its lower portion below the guide-frame With a beveled gear 35. The lower beveled gear 35 meshes with a similar gear 36, carried by a short shaft 37, journaled in suitable bearings 38 within the guide-frame 32, and this shaft 37 carries a sprocket-wheel 39 at its outer end. This sprocket-wheel 39 is connected by a chain belt 40 with a sprocket-wheel 41, which is secured upon the drive-shaft l1, as is shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

A shaft 42 is journaled in suitable bearings located at the under side of the hopper 29, and this shaft 42 carries a beveled gear 43, which engages with the upper gear 34 of the sleeve 33, receiving movement therefrom, and at the outer end of the shaft 42 a pulley 45 is located. This shaft 42 is adapted to communicate movement to a series of rakes C in a manner to be hereinafter set forth, which rakes are located in a chute C', and this chute has communication with the hopper 29 and is hinged thereto, as shown at 46 in Fig. 1, so that while the chute may be moved to the left with the hopper the chute may be raised or lowered. The rakes in the drawings are shown as three in number; but it will be understood that any desired number of rakes may be used.

A sieve or screen 47 is located in the bottom portion of the chute C', being supported a suitable distance from the bottom 48 in any approved manner, so as to provide a space 49 between the bottom of the chute and said sieve or screen. At the lower end of the space 49, or the end which is adjacent to the hopper 29, a box-receptacle 50 is secured which is adapted to receive the grain which passes through the screen or sieve and which may be separated from the straw by the raketeeth 53 as the straw is carried upward in the said chute. The said receptacle 50 is usually provided with an outlet nozzle or spout 51, which in its turn may be connected with the tailings-auger or grain-receiving spout of a separator.

At the inner end of each rake Ca crosshead 52 is provided which in the operation of the rakes extends over the hopper 29, and these heads serve to direct the straw upward and likewise serve to prevent the rakes from being impeded in their action by bunches of straw of undue or unequal size. Each rake is provided with a series of teeth 53, which are attached to the under face of the rakes and have a downward inclination and an inclination in direction of the delivery end of the chute, as is best shown in Fig. l. Yokes 54 are carried by the rakes C near their upper or delivery ends, and these yokes are passed through staples 55 or their equivalents secured upon a cross-bar 56, extending from side to side of the chute C. The rakes are therefore virtually pivoted on the said bar 56. Near the inner ends of the rakes, or the ends which are adjacent to the hopper 29, bearings 57 are secured upon the IOO IIO

71eme upper faces of the said rakes, and the crankarms 58 of a crankshaft 59 are passed through these bearings, as is shown in Figs. l and 2. The said crank-arms are so arranged that as the crank-shaft 59 is driven the rakes will have alternate vertical reciprocating motion in opposite directions, or in dir'ection to direct the material from the hopper to the delivery end of the chute C.

A sprocket-wheel 60 is secured on the crankshaft 59 at one of its ends, asis illustrated in Fig. 2, and the said crank-shaft is journaled in the upper ends of a yoke 6l, which yoke is fulcrum ed between its center and its upper end on the side portions of the chute C', eX- tending belowtbe same, as is shown in Figs. l and 3. Spring-controlled bearings of any approved construction are mounted in the upper portion of the yoke 6l and receive the said crank-shaft 59. Such spring-controlled bearings are employed so that the rakes may yield in an upper direction even should a large bunch of straw reach apoint near the centers of the rakes. The yoke 6l is shown provided with a stirrup 62 at the central portion of its bottom section, and the bifurcated end of a spring-bar 63 faces the said stirrnp portion of the yoke, one member extending,r through the stirrup and the other through the yoke above the stirrup, as shown in Fig. l, and this spring-bar is attached at its other end in any suitable or approved manner to the bottom portion of the chute C'. The bifurcated end of the spring-bar 63 is adjustably held in engagement with the lower portion of the yoke 6l by means of a suitable pin 64E or its equivalent passedthrough any one of a number of apertures in the bifurcated portion of the spring-bar and through the bottom of the yoke 6l and the stirrup 62. The spring-bar 63 is used in connection with the yoke 6l in-order that the said yoke may be adjusted and held in adjusted position to give more or less pitch to the rakes in direction of the hopper 29.

The chute C may be raised and lowered in any approved manner. As illustrated, such movement is accomplished by attaching a bail 65 to the chute, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and a rope, cord, or chain 66 is attached to this bail, which is passed over a pulley 67, located on a suitable shaft or rod extending usually between uprights 68, attached to a base-bar 69, which base-bar is at one side of the base of the machine and may be independent thereof. The rope, cord, or chain 66 may be attached to a drum or a winding device, if so desired.

The rakes C are driven through the means of a belt 75, which is passed over the pulley 45 on the shaft 42 and over the pulley 60 on the crank-shaft 59, as shown in Fig. 3. As the straw-chute is adapted to be raised and lowered, the driving-belt 75 is liable to become more or less slackened, anda belt-tightener D is therefore employed to remedy such defect, which tightener is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This belt-tightener, as illustrated, consists of two opposing vertical slabs 70, between which rollers 7l and 72 are journaled, the slabs being connected in any suitable or approved manner, and a yoke-bar 73 is attached to the upper and lower portions of the slabs 70, which yoke-bar passes through and has sliding movement in the guide eXtensions 74 from the hopper 29, so that as the chute C is raised or lowered the belt 75 will adjust itself with reference to the tightener D, and the tightener will adjust itself on the hopper 29 in such manner that the strands of the belt 75 will always be in engagement with the rollers 7l and 72, above referred to, maintaining a proper tautness in the drivingbelt 75.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a straw-stacker, a revolving hopper, a drive-shaft provided with a driving-gear, a second shaft at an angle to the drive-shaft, a standard parallel with the said second shaft and provided with upper and lower arms extending laterally from opposite sides and a concaved face between corresponding upper and lower arms, a spoked wheel mounted to slide on the said second shaft and turn with the same, the spokes of which wheel are of varyinglengths, allof the spokes being adapted for engagement with the said concaved faces of the said standard, and a driving connection between said second shaft and the said hopper, as described.

2. In a straw-stacker or like machine, a receptacle mounted to revolve, a drive-shaft, a driving-wheel carried by the said drive-shaft, and a gear connection between the drive-shaft and the said receptacle, ofa standard having upper and lower arms extending horizontally from opposite sides, the side faces of the standard between the upper and lower arms being concaved, and a spoked wheel mounted to slide on the driven shaft and to turn therewith, the spokes of which wheel extend partially around its periphery, the said spokes being of varying length, all ofthe spokes being arranged for engagement with the driving-wheel on the drive-shaft, the longer spokes being adapted for engagement with the faces of the standard between its upper and lower arms, whereby the spoked Wheel may rise and fall while its spokes are in engagement with the driving-wheel without the said spoked wheel being revolved, as described.

3. A drive-shaft, a driving-wheel carried by the said shaft, a driven shaft, supports for the said shaft, a standard located parallel with the driven shaft and having upper and lower laterally-extending arms at opposite sides and curved side faces between said arms, and a spoked wheel mounted to slide on the said driven shaft and adapted to turn with said shaft, the spokes of which wheel are of IOO IIO

varying length, all of the spokes being arranged for engagement with the driving- Wheel, the longer spokes only being arranged for engagement with the concaved faces of the standard, for the purpose described.

4. In astraW-stacker, astlaW-chute, a rocking support located upon said chute, a crankshaft having bearing in said rocking support, a locking device for the rocking support, and rakes mounted on the crank-arms of the cran kshaft, as described.

5. In a straw-stacker, a straw-chute, a rocking support located upon said chute, a crankshaft having bearings in said rocking support, a locking device for the rocking support, rakes mounted on the crank-arms of the said shaft, and a fixed support upon the said chute, upon which fixed support said fakes are arranged to slide, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a strawstacker,the combination,With a delivery-chute, a yoke pivotally attached to said delivery-chute, having its attached members extending beyond the top of the chute, bearings located in the attached members of the said' yoke, and a crank-shaft mounted in said bearings, of rake-heads having sliding support at one end Within the said chute, the said rake-heads being provided near their opposite ends with boxes receiving the crank-arms of the crank-shaft,as specified.

7. In a straw-stacker, the combination,with a hopper mounted to revolve, a chute having hinged' connection with the hopper, a crankshaft journaled upon said chute, a drivingshaft carried by said hopper, a belt connection between the driving-shaft and the crankshaft, and rakes mounted to slide on the said chute and having connection with the crankarms of the crank-shaft, of a tightener consisting of a front memberandarear member, a support connected with the said members, a sleeve in which said support has sliding movement, the said sleeve being arranged for attachment to the hopper, and rollers journaled between said members, the stretches of the driving-chain being arranged for engagement with the said rollers, for the purpose specified;

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing` Witnesses.

CHARLES H. BRUNGER.

Witnesses:

HARRY A. REI-IERD, FRED. W. BLANKENFELD. 

